Improvement in carpet-stretchers



S. S. CALHOUN & J. KIMERER.

CARPET-STRETCHER. No,170,987 Patented Dec.14 1875*.

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NAPETERS. PHOTO-LJTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D cA NrTnn STATES PATENT @Enron SAMUEL S. CALHOON AND JOHN KIMRER, OF MILLERSBURG, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO SAMUEL S. OALHOON, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPRovEMEN-r IN cARPE'r-sTRETcHERs.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 170.987, dated December 14, 1875 application led April 14, 1875.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL S. GALHooN "1 and JOHN KIMERER, of Millersburg, in the f county of Holmes and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and'lmproved Carpet- Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the carpet-stretcher. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side. Fig. 3 is a side view.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

This invention is for stretching carpets upon the floor while being nailed down, whereby is avoided the use of the han-ds for that purpose.

The construction and operation ofthe carpet-stretcher are as follows-the same being an improvement on a similar device for which a patent was granted August 18,1874, No. 154,122.

The invention referred to consists of two sections, A B, each of which constitutes a frame, the sides of which are connected at one end by a tie, a, and thereby prevented from spreading, whereas the opposite ends are connected by the wood whereof the frames are made, as will be seen in the drawings. To the end of the frame or section B is hinged a head, C. Said head consists of ablock, D,

` provided with a cross-piece, E. To said cross- 0I^ piece is secured a bar, F, in which is inserted the teeth Gr, hereinafter referred f H H k are extension-slides fitted in the frames or section A B, so as to slide therein, and which l are connected to each other by a hinge, I, secured to the head or cross-pieces J ofthe exi tensions. The extensions are retained within the frames by a bar, b, on theupper side, and by a button, c, on the lower side, which, when it is turned transversely, as shown in Fig. 2,

prevents the end of the extensions from moving upward out of the frame, while the bar b prevents the end from dropping downward through the frame. The extensions are prevented from sliding endwise in the frame by a pin, a', projecting through their inner end,

and lodged in some one of the gains e cut on the inner side of the frames, as will be seen in the drawings.

The practical operation of the carpet-stretcher is as follows: The carpet, on being spread out upon the floor, one side of it is then tacked down. The opposite side is stretched to the other side of the room, for tacking down, by means of the stretcher, to which end one or both of the extensions is drawn out more or less, according to the size of the room. The heel or lower end K of section A is placed on the floor against the wall, while the head C is fastened to the carpet by means of the comb or teeth Gr. rEhe central part of the stretcher at this time is elevated above the door, as may be seen in Fig. 3. Now, on depressing the stretcher, the loose side of the carpet will be pushed along to the Wall, where it is retained while being tacked down by the axial line of the joint l dropping below the extreme ends of the stretcher resting upon the door, which are slightly raised above it by a block, L, Fig. 3, on one end, and the head C on the other. The part of the carpet thus stretched is tacked down, the stretcher is taken up, and again adjust-ed for stretching another breadth of carpet, as above described, and so on to the end.

As above said, the extensions are drawn out or pushed in to adjust the stretcher to the size of the room, which is done by turning the button c so that the end of the extension will lift out from between the frame, which may then be pulled out or pushed in and secured by the pin a', lodged in one ofthe gains e and held therein by the button c.

In the carpet-stretcher referred to, the extension slides had no head or cross-piece J. The two extension-slides were connected by a hinge secured directly to them, which, in consequence of their being narrow, a narrow hinge had to be used. rI his narrowness of the hinge made the connection weak, and was very liable to twist and break, to avoid whichV is the purpose of the cross-piece or head J,

whereby we are enabled to use a wider hinge,

and thus make the connection stronger.- Also, in the stretchers referred to, the teeth were insertedv in the bar or head C Without going through it. In the event a tooth should break it could not be easily replaced, as the part of` the tooth remaining could not be got out withou't injuring the Wood. I

To avoid this objectionable feature, We insert the teeth iu the bar F, so that they g'o through and screw the bar to the cross-piece E, as seen in Fig. 2, which forms a bottom to the holes 'in which the teeth are inserted, and prevents them from pushing through. Should a tooth break off it can be easily replaced by removing the bar and punching out the piece of the tooth left in, leaving the hole uninjured for the insertion ot' a Whole tooth.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The combination of the cross-pieces J J and their extension-slides H H', supporting bars b b, and buttons o c, With the frames A B, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL S. CALHOON. JOHN KIMERER. Witnesses:

JOHN ZIMMERMAN, G. W. SHARP. 

